Review: Fringe Exposes the MEASURE OF A MAN in One-Man Pathos Piece at Emerald City, Meat Market

It cannot be underestimated, the place of an audience in the energy of a show and their collective states of mind. Having seen Gavin Roach's Measure of Man last year as part of Sydney Fringe, this reviewer was excited to see how the Melbourne Fringe production had stayed true to the message of the work whilst managing to refine its structure and push it beyond stage boundaries to really hit home the importance of sexual taboos that still exist in society, both inside and out of the queer community.

Roach's autobiographical work deals with his own sexual anxieties and their physical consequences which makes this show unbelievably courageous for its vulnerability. Roach's writing and performance style are candid, yet polished. In its production, costume and lighting are bold as the content, doing away with finesse to deliver the realities as harshly as they feel, making the experience visceral and tiptoeing the balance of comfort, which is an important place for the audience to be, especially a Fringe audience. Directed by Lauren Hopley, Roach keeps use of space right in the faces of the herd, detailing his experiences with lovers, doctors and his own internal dialogues.

A touchstone of the queer element in Melbourne Fringe's program, and worthwhile talking point for a community that might need another way to connect in amongst the marriage equality mayhem.

Tickets available here.

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